


Evan in the King's Court

by Madame_Kiksters



Category: Dear Evan Hansen - Pasek & Paul/Levenson
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Evan's POV, Multi, Trans Connor, baseball player evan, because i don't want to spoil everything, but apparently I do, heavily influenced by that disney movie no one likes, jared the wise wizard, king larry, main villain's name is hilarious, prince connor, princess zoe, surprise tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-12
Updated: 2018-01-12
Packaged: 2019-03-03 19:26:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 12,011
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13347915
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madame_Kiksters/pseuds/Madame_Kiksters
Summary: Timid baseball player, Evan Hansen, finds himself summoned by a powerful wizard to a time of kings and castles to prevent a tragedy from befalling the kingdom.





	1. Chapter 1

Evan nervously tugged the sweaty collar of the vibrant blue jersey indicating he belonged to the Reseda Knights baseball team away from his neck. The crowd was cheering, their team was almost tied with the enemy team and he was next to bat…last to bat. Like usual.

“Hansen, you’re up!”

Evan turned wide eyes to the coach and shook his head. He did _not_ want to be the reason they failed.

The coach furrowed his brow and pointed to the field before leaving. Evan looked down before fumbling with his helmet to place it on his head over his ballcap.

As he walked to the plate, the team jeered at him.

“Try to actually swing this time, Hansen.” Was the one that stuck out the most to him. He walked past his mom, seated on the bleachers for the first time of many. He hoped she wouldn’t be too disappointed when he singlehandedly lost the biggest game of the season.

“You can do it, honey!” Evan looked up to find his mom with her hands cupped around her mouth as she cheered for him. “You’re gonna knock it outta the park!”

Evan gave her a forced smile before the coach grabbed his shoulder and turned him around.

“Alright, Hansen. Don’t be nervous. You just have to remember to do three things.” Evan nodded for his coach to continue. “Lean forward, focus on a point in the distance you want the ball to go, steady your arms, then go for it! You got it?”

Evan didn’t point out that it was four things the coach wanted and simply nodded his understanding. The coach slapped him on the back to push him the final steps to the plate. The umpire watched him get into position with a shake of his head.

“Okay.” Evan whispered to himself as he closed his eyes to focus on his coach’s instructions and his mom’s encouragement. “You can do this.”

He opened his eyes to watch the pitcher wind up his arm before launching it towards him. Evan’s eyes widened, and his heart ratcheted up its speed as he locked up waiting for the ball to hit him and give him another concussion like it had last year.

“Strike!”

Evan registered that the ball had flown past him harmlessly and had smacked into the umpire’s mitt.

Evan licked his lips as he readied his stance and readjusted his grip on the bat.

The pitcher lined up another throw and Evan’s breath stuttered as it flew perilously close to his abdomen.

“Strike two!”

“Come on, Hansen!”

“Swing the damn bat!”

“He’s such a loser.”

“You can do it, sweetie! Just swing!”

Evan felt himself lost in the sea of voices yelling at him as the pitcher readied the last ball and Evan steeled himself. Even if it didn’t connect, he was going to swing for sure this time!

The ball barreled towards him and his arms trembled as he tried to get them to swing. The bat twitched in his grip as the ball landed in the umpire’s mitt for the last time.

“Strike three! You’re out!”

“Way to go, Hansen.”

“Yeah! Real nice, loser!”

Evan lowered the bat to the ground as he returned to the dugout on shaky knees, trying to ignore his mother consoling him, the audience, his teammates, and even the enemy team throwing insults at him.

The star player called after him, “Hey, Hansen! Fetch my bat! Since that’s about all you’re good for.”

Evan nodded his head as he headed for the bats lined against the fence next to the dugout. He’d just cost his team the game, no point in acting like he was anything bigger than a speck of dirt.

He grabbed the boy’s favorite bat as the earth rocked beneath his feet.

He’d experienced earthquakes before, but never while he was outside. The ground roared beneath him and he looked to his mother, terrified, as the earth opened up beneath him. He watched as she reached for him helplessly as the surface disappeared from view.

He screamed for what seemed like ages, waiting for the impact that would kill him. He continued as he watched all light disappear and he was left only in darkness. At one point in his fall he stopped. Perhaps this was death itself. Falling forever?

Evan had found himself accepting that fact before light reemerged and he was freefalling through the sky.

_Of course I would die because of a glitch in the universe._ He thought before he looked down at the forest rapidly approaching.

He squeezed his eyes shut as he landed in the branches of the tall trees and hit almost every one on his descent. He heard a horse stampeding towards the tree he was crashing through before he fell on top of the rider and rolled a bit.

He opened his eyes and felt his entire body ache as he found someone dressed in a suit of black armor clutch at their head.

His eyes widened as he pushed his body to sit up. “Sorry about that! I didn’t mean to fall on you!”

The knight scooted away from him in what seemed like fear before they scrambled to their feet and stalked towards him.

Evan crawled backwards away from them until he fell over a box. He cried out in pain as he heard more horses stampeding in their direction. The knight turned to them before looking at him once more. Evan felt the waves of hate radiating off of them until they turned to their equally black, armored horse and spurred it away from the scene.

“Halt! Return the stolen box at once!”

Evan looked behind him to find a metal box resting on the ground. He stood as quickly as he dared, box in hand as they continued to approach at a threatening pace.

He panicked as he threw the box to the ground in their direction and took off into the woods, hoping to lose them. No need to be blamed for something he didn’t do. Not that it wouldn’t be the first time.

He ran through the trees listening to them call after him before he broke the tree line and stepped onto a plain of tall grass. He looked around for civilization and discovered an actual castle in the distance.

“What the hell?”

_____

Since he hadn’t seen anywhere else to go, Evan had ventured towards the castle. He watched as everyone was dressed in rags. Chickens were running free in the streets and pigs were kept in the middle of the market.

There were houses and carts scattered everywhere and Evan had no idea where to turn. He walked around hoping to find anyone who wasn’t actively yelling about something to ask for help. The more he walked, the more he began to feel like this wasn’t a weird renaissance fair.

It made sense, in a way. He had fallen through the ground. Perhaps he was in an alternate universe?

“You there! Halt!”

Evan whipped around to find one of the knights stomping after him. He gasped as he ducked into a separate alley before he saw more knights walking past the alley. Evan figured they were also searching for him, so he turned to backtrack.

He heard shouting come from the way he’d came, “I saw him go in here!”

Nope! Not that way. Evan looked around wildly before he spotted a window that he jumped through.

The couple inside startled at his appearance before they heard the knights calling after him. Evan gave them a wide eyed look and their gazes steeled as they shoved him behind a drape that sectioned off their bedroom from the rest of the small house.

The door burst open a moment later and a surly knight lumbered into the room. He looked around as the couple watched him through narrowed eyes.

The knight picked up an egg and tossed it into the air before depositing it into his pocket.

The husband glared as he yelled, “Hasn’t the King stolen enough?”

In an instant the knight was on him. A hand gripping the man’s collar, the knight hissed, “The King cannot steal what is rightfully his.”

The man said nothing as the wife shied away from them.

There was a tense pause as Evan watched the couple through the narrow opening of the fabric he hid behind.

The knight sucked in a calming breath before he released the husband with a predatory smile. “I’m looking for someone. A young boy. I thought I saw him duck in here.”

“We haven’t seen any boys.”

“Don’t lie to me! I know he’s in here. Now either tell me or face the consequences.” His hand hovered threateningly over the hilt of his sword and the wife gasped.

“Stop resisting before you get us both killed.”

Evan felt like the air had been punched out of him and he let out a small sound of terror.

The knight twisted his head to look in his direction and pulled the curtain back before he grabbed Evan’s arm and hauled him outside.

“I’ve got him!” He called to another knight who grabbed Evan’s other arm. They had to drag him through the streets because his legs had no strength in them from his fear.

“Wh-where are you taking me?”

“To his majesty, the King’s court.”

Evan’s eyes widened comically, and his fear was replaced with shock, “The King?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...this is, if you couldn't guess, based off of A Kid in King Arthur's Court. Yeah... that movie.
> 
> XD
> 
> But I changed some things that I thought could use a little work and also so that I wasn't just...rewriting the entire movie. Just certain scenes were used as a guide for the timeline. Along with some of my favorite scenes. Dialogue is almost completely fresh so...
> 
> Look...it's not the same thing alright? Just read it and see. XD


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Listen.
> 
> I meant to post this just before midnight so I could post two at once since the first one was pretty short...
> 
> I know I'm weak. orz

Evan watched as the large wooden doors were pushed open and he was dragged into a large dining hall. He was pulled past jugglers and people doing backflips until he was in the middle of the room. Tables surrounded him in the front and to the sides of him. The people seated were only on one side, probably to watch the events that would occur in the middle of them.

He focused on the table in front of him and found his eyes first drawn to a pretty girl with short, dark, wavy hair staring at him as she whispered to a similar looking girl next to her. He couldn’t hear what they were saying, but the older looking one sent him a scathing glare before the older man in front of him called his attention.

“Do you not know who I am?” the man Evan presumed to be King demanded.

“Umm…the King?”

“The King. Yes. So you know…and yet you still do not kneel before me?”

Evan’s eyes widened before his knee cracked against the stone in his haste to kneel. “Sorry!”

He heard the King lean over and whisper to the older girl, “He certainly doesn’t appear to be an aristocrat.”

He blushed as he ducked his head to hide.

“You wear such odd clothes.” The King remarked.

Evan peeked up, “You mean my uniform?”

“Uniform? Then you are a knight?”

Evan looked up with confusion. Did the King know about his world? “Yes, I am part of the Reseda Knights. How did you know?”

He heard angry feet rushing towards him before pulling him to his feet. “Do not be fooled, Sire! This boy is in league with the Dark Knight!”

Evan whimpered as the odd man shoved him towards the King, “W-who?”

“Release him, Lord Tobasco!” The King ordered. When the man complied, Evan brushed his hands over his clothes to smooth the wrinkles the man had caused.

Lord Tobasco huffed as he crossed his arms petulantly. “You can’t tell me that you honestly believe this scrap of a boy managed to retrieve your stolen property from the Dark Knight when your entire army of knights was unable to do so...Sire.”

Evan sent the man a worried look, he didn’t like the man, but he didn’t want to see him decapitated for his disrespect either.

To his surprise, the King merely hummed and gave him a considering look. “Well, knight of Reseda. Your honor and loyalty have been brought into question. How will you settle this?”

“H-how am I supposed to prove I’m innocent?” Evan floundered.

The King rubbed his chin in thought before he snapped his fingers. “There’s trial by combat!”

Evan felt his stomach sink to his feet. “C-combat?”

“It will be to the death, of course. However, if you prove victorious, your innocence shall be proven!” The King announced.

Evan looked around at everyone as they began to clap politely at their King’s idea.

“What sort of combat?” Evan asked.

“Whatever you choose...err…I’m afraid you never introduced yourself.”

“E-Evan Hansen?”

“Then, Sir Hansen. Choose your weapon!”

Evan scanned the back of the room, searching for a solution, for a way out. Anything to help him escape this situation.

He was spared when the younger woman stood. “Father! Might I suggest an alternative method of combat?”

The King nodded before he answered, “Of course. If Sir Hansen agrees to it.”

Evan nodded his head violently. If only to not have to think about which weapon he preferred to have end his life.

“I suggest a test of wit. Whoever can make my sister or I laugh first is the winner.”

Lord Tobasco huffed, “You can’t be serious, Princess Catherine.”

Both of the girls’ eyes narrowed at the older man. “That’s _Prince_ Connor.” The girls informed.

Evan’s eyes widened as he sputtered. “Prince?”

When the girls turned their glares on him, Evan shrank down.

“Yes. Do you find that hard to believe?”

Evan shook his head wildly with a blush. “No, no! I just thought...never mind!”

Connor’s eyes narrowed impossibly further. “Thought what?”

Evan figured he was going to die anyways. Might as well die with a clear conscience. He couldn’t make things worse at this point.

“I th-thought that...you were really pretty.” He admitted with his eyes clenched shut.

He heard Connor squawk and he prepared himself for the final blow. When the sister began to laugh, Evan peeked up and found Connor’s face consumed with a pink tint and wide eyes.

“Sir Hansen is the victor!” The sister announced and everyone in the room shared in her laughter. The King even gave a small smile as he turned to Lord Tobasco.

“There you have it! Sir Hansen is innocent.”

Evan shied away from the hateful glare Lord Tobasco sent him before he was beckoned to sit at the table next to the Prince.

“So, Sir Hansen.”

“You can just call me Evan…Your Highness?”

The King nodded to show him that Evan had addressed him properly. “Very well, Evan. So tell me. What brings you from the country of Reseda? I must confess I’ve never heard of such a place.”

Evan nodded as he looked down at the food in front of him unseeing. “It’s pretty far. I’m not sure…Your Highness.” Evan paused as he chose his next words carefully, “There was an earthquake and I found myself here.”

“Ahh…memory loss. I remember a few of my knights suffered something similar when they were stuck in the head. I’m sure it will return soon enough.”

“I hope I can make it back soon.” Evan confessed.

Connor paused eating long enough to point at Evan’s plate. “You going to eat that?”

Evan looked down at his plate before his brow wrinkled. “What even _is_ that?”

“Hog snout!” The King answered joyously. “A personal favorite.”

“Ohhh…that’s nice.” Evan answered politely. He watched as Connor shrugged before going after his sister’s share.

Not wanting to seem too rude, Evan looked around for something to dump the food into without being noticed. He looked down and found a dog lazing next to the table.

With as much stealth as he could muster, Evan’s hand crept over the side of his plate before he hurriedly hid it under the table and dumped its contents on the floor next to the dog.

He brought his plate back up and sighed as he watched the dog startle awake before it began to scarf down the food and hide the evidence.

His plate was snatched up and another set down in front of him. This one had two large bones sticking out of a pile of meat, strings of the meat that weren’t pulled off the bones dangled off the sides.

Evan slumped in defeat as he nibbled on the potatoes that had come with the new plate.

He felt the dog pad closer to him before he felt its head rest on his leg. He gave it a quick scratch behind the ears before he leaned over the table and snuck some of the meat over the edge of the table for the dog to enjoy with a privately pleased smile.

He didn’t notice as Connor watched him through the side of his eyes the rest of the meal.


	3. Chapter 3

He was escorted to his chambers and left alone. Evan knew exactly what he wanted to do first. He searched around for a restroom of some sort. He didn’t see any, so he figured he had to go to a separate room. Which wasn’t odd to him since that was the way his house was as well.

He wandered the halls looking for anyone to tell him where he could relieve himself and too nervous to knock on the doors to find anyone inside.

He turned back and decided to try knocking on someone’s door instead. As he passed over the arches that led to the courtyard he was grabbed from the side. When he turned his head, he found Lord Tobasco’s nasty glare. “You?”

His mouth was covered with a gloved hand as he was pushed into the far wall. He squeaked with fear and the other man removed his hand. “Sorry about that. Didn’t mean to scare you.”

Evan felt like he’d heard the biggest lie of the century, but he didn’t comment.

“I just wanted to talk.”

“Okay?”

“I know why you’re here.”

Evan felt a swell of confusion. “You do?”

“Of course! You’re here for the Princess’s hand in marriage so you can rule!”

“Wh-what? No! I-” Evan’s protests were silenced when he felt the same gloved hand from before caress his neck before gripping it lightly.

“Do you hear that?”

Evan felt his emotions swirl violently. Fear and confusion battled each other to be the most dominant emotion.

“I-I don’t hear anything?”

The pressure around his neck tightened ever so slightly. “Exactly. I could strangle you right here, and no one would be around to hear your screams.”

Evan froze before he felt his bladder press and his brain went into emergency mode. He ducked away from the man with a “Hold that thought!” before he ran outside to a bush and relieved himself with a sigh.

He was yelled at from one of the windows by one of the servants and was escorted to his room and shown what they called “a chamber pot” and was instructed that _this_ was what he was supposed to use to relieve himself.

He blushed as he remembered the scolding as he stripped off his pants to reveal his dark cartoony underwear. He liked the little trees on them, so they were his favorite pair.

Evan felt a shudder run through him when he remembered Lord Tobasco’s hand around his neck. He felt the tension rise in his body and he released a series of practiced punches and kicks that he’d learned as a child and had kept up with as he grew.

He felt his blood pumping as he focused on his form and concentrated to execute a powerful roundhouse kick. When he landed he looked up to focus another punch and he shrieked as he found Connor watching him through the doorway.

He fell on his rear and Connor giggled from his spot. Evan babbled as he stood up apologizing for Connor seeing that and trying to explain himself.

When the Prince finally settled down he stepped inside and closed the door as he looked Evan up and down. “You Resedans wear such odd clothes.”

“Oh! Sorry! Let me just!” Evan hurriedly pulled his uniform pants back on, in his haste he fell over into the Prince and noted that he had a lot of cushion on his chest. He made a quick realization that he wisely kept to himself.

He sucked in a breath and Connor watched him carefully.

“Sorry! I didn’t mean to bump into you!” He bowed his head down and waited for the taller boy to yell at him for his clumsiness like everyone else did.

When he was met with laughter, he snapped his head up to look at Connor with confusion.

“You are perhaps the most spineless boy I’ve ever met!” Connor teased.

Evan shrank away, expecting hasher jeers to follow.

“It’s honestly quite refreshing, Evan.”

Evan sagged with relief before he blushed. “Thank you, Prince Connor.”

“Just Connor is fine.”

Evan nodded. “Okay…Connor.”

The taller boy hummed. “Now that that’s out of the way. I came here to show you something.”

Evan lifted a single brow and Connor plucked two burning pieces of wood from the fireplace and gave one to Evan before he dowsed the fire and pressed a switch. The wall behind the fireplace shifted to the side to reveal a hidden passageway.

Evan felt like his eyes were going to fall out of his head if he opened them any wider.

“I didn’t think this sort of thing was real!”

“Oh. It’s real.” Connor giggled. “Go on then, after you.”

Evan hesitantly crawled inside and took a few steps, so Connor could squeeze in after him. Once the Prince was inside, the door closed and blew out Connor’s torch.

“Damn.” Connor cursed, and Evan reached over with his still burning torch and offered it for Connor to relight his.

“Here.”

“Thanks.” Connor slipped past Evan and led the way to an open room that was covered with cobwebs and artifacts.

“What is this place?” Evan wondered aloud.

“This was Jared’s room.” Connor explained.

“Jared?”

“My father’s advisor and most trusted friend” Connor muttered the next part begrudgingly. “Also, the greatest wizard who ever lived.”

“I’m…sorry. What?” His eyes were drawn to a well in the middle of the room and he walked over to inspect it. “Jared?”

“Yeah…he died years ago though. Now my father comes here when he seeks guidance.”

Evan nodded in understanding and peered into the well. He noticed there were cobwebs along the water’s surface and steeled himself to remove them when Connor grabbed his arm and pulled him close.

“My father’s coming, we have to leave!”

Evan nodded and followed Connor blindly into the hallway and down the corridor of a secret passage on the opposite side of the room that they’d entered.

The Prince dowsed the flames of his torch and used only Evan’s to navigate their path. Evan assumed it was because one torch produced less light than two and they were trying to be sneaky.

They reached the end of the passage and Connor handed the torch back to Evan.

“This is where we part.”

“What?” Evan yelped quietly. “How am I supposed to get back?”

“Follow the passageway back. Yours is at the other end of the passage we took. You can’t miss it.”

“Isn’t the King still in Jared’s room?”

“Probably.”

They stared at each other for a moment and Connor turned to leave.

“Wait! How am I supposed to sneak past the King?”

“I don’t know?” Connor answered as he tried to escape again.

“Should I just wait for him to leave?”

“That sounds like a great idea.” Connor assured as he tried to leave once more. He finally exited the passage before Evan asked another question.

“What am I supposed to do until then?”

Connor pressed the switch and the passage closed as he answered, “Not my problem.”

The stone slab closed with a final grind and Evan turned to face the long twisting passageway before him leading back to Jared’s room.

With a sigh, he held the torch almost close enough to light his hair on fire as he kept his eyes peeled for any rats or spiders. When he thought he’d gone far enough, he dowsed the torch’s flame and continued down the dark corridor with his hands trailing along the stone walls.

When he saw the dimly lit wizard’s room, he peeked around to see if the King was still present.

He startled when a voice called him from the middle of the room.

“You there! Come closer! You must be the hero I summoned from the Great Beyond!”

Evan stepped inside and searched around for anyone nearby. “Umm. I’m only from the future? California to be exact.”

“Ahh, perfect! Then you must already know the tale of this great kingdom, its beloved King Larry and of I, Jared the Wise!” Evan discovered the voice was coming from the well, so he stepped closer as he answered.

“No, not really. I’ve never heard about of any of this.” He finished as he peered over the side to find an ancient looking man with glasses on his nose.

“What? Who are you? What hast brought thou here?” Jared asked, affecting an odd accent.

“You brought me here?”

The wizard adjusted his glasses and narrowed his gaze at Evan. “What? But you’re so scrawny? I sent for a hero!”

Evan felt emboldened by the offense. “Well you're a wizard named Jared. So, we can both say we’re surprised and mildly disappointed and leave it at that.”

Jared sputtered as his mouth worked, but no words came out. The wizard glared petulantly before he sighed in defeat. “Very well.” He inhaled and stood straight, Evan guessed this because he could only see down to the wizard’s shoulders. “Let me explain.”

Evan nodded for Jared to continue.

“I brought you here to save the King and his Kingdom from falling at the hands of evil.”

“Let me guess. Lord Tobasco?”

Jared scoffed at the name. “Yes. He seeks to rule the kingdom by wedding the Princess Zoe.”

“I don’t think that will ever happen. She doesn’t seem to like him very much.”

“Ahh, but that is not the issue. Princess Zoe has almost reached her twenty-first birthday without marrying another. When that happens, there will be a tournament to decide who she will marry.”

“That sounds…” Evan didn’t get to finish before Jared continued.

“Troubling, I know. Lord Tobasco plans to wed the Princess by any means necessary before he assassinates the King and his family. He’s already managed to get the knights on his side.”

“Well, what do you want me to do?” Evan asked finally.

“I want you to make sure that Princess Zoe does not marry Lord Tobasco.” The wizard gave what Evan was sure Jared thought was a charming smile. “Simple.”

“How am I supposed to do that?”

“Enter the tournament yourself if you have to. Just make sure that they do not wed.”

Evan whined. “I don’t want to enter the tournament.”

“Do you want to return home?” Jared asked.

Evan answered without hesitation. “Yes!”

“Then you’ll enter the tournament and see that the Princess and Lord Tobasco do not marry.”

Evan tried to protest, but the wizard’s image swirled and disrupted the connection. When the water settled, it was dark once more.

“Damnit!”


	4. Chapter 4

The next day, he went to talk to Connor about what had happened in Jared’s chambers. At first the boy didn’t believe him, but when Evan expressed his wish to save Zoe from Lord Tobasco, he readily agreed to train him.

Connor escorted him to a different part of the castle and introduced him to a young woman by the name of Alana.

“That’ll be Professor Alana to you, _Sir_ Hansen.”

Evan rubbed the back of his head nervously as he replied. “Just Evan is fine, Professor.”

Alana hummed as she effortlessly picked up a battle-axe and tossed it to him before she nodded to the wooden dummy.

“Have at it then. Let’s see what you’ve got.”

Evan approached the dummy hesitantly as he struggled not to drop the axe from its weight. He turned back to Alana and Connor for confirmation.

When they nodded and mockingly urged him to go ahead, Evan took a deep breath and swung with all his might. The axe slipped from his hands and flew out of the window into the training yard, startling some loose chickens.

He heard the two behind him laughing heartily and he blushed as he rushed outside to retrieve the weapon.

While he was outside, Connor brought along a bow and a quiver of arrows. “Let’s see if archery is more your style?”

The taller boy sucked in a steadying breath before exhaling and releasing three consecutive arrows. Each one landing in the bullseye.

Evan’s jaw dropped as Connor handed him the bow with a giggle. “Now you try.”

Connor instructed Evan how to nock an arrow before drawing the bowstring back before releasing it. Evan listened and watched as the arrow was adjusted to where it needed to be before he pulled back. He managed a few inches before he realized he really needed to exert a lot of strength to pull it back as far as it needed to go.

Evan clenched his teeth and drew the arrow farther back before his fingers slipped and the arrow went sailing through the air and into a window. Evan heard the unmistakable yowl of a cat and threw the bow down to make sure the cat was okay. On his way by, he passed Princess Zoe standing in the courtyard admiring the flowers and Lord Tobasco walking from the hall into the courtyard in her direction.

He didn’t spare it much thought as he was consumed with worry for hurting anything.

Luckily, the cat was unscathed, Evan had merely startled it. He returned with a sheepish grin and arrow in hand for the lessons to continue.

Evan trained for a few days with the axe and the bow before Alana greeted him with a lance and the reigns of a horse.

“You _do_ know how to ride, do you not?” she asked when Evan’s eyes widened.

“I _do not_ know.” Evan admitted as he looked up at the surprisingly large horse.

Connor giggled before he leaned over and whispered to Alana loud enough for Evan to hear. “Hopeless, isn’t he?”

Alana smirked as she answered, “Yes, but I do believe that is why you like him so much.”

Evan’s face could have melted from the heat and Connor didn’t look to be fairing any better.

Alana laughed at the both of them as she set the lance down and walked the horse over to Evan. “Let’s just focus on riding for now.”

_____

Evan was getting pretty good at riding a horse. He had only fell off twice before he realized that he could squeeze the horse’s sides without hurting it or making it go crazy. To celebrate his progress, he was invited on an outing with Connor, Zoe, and Alana. The four of them brought food along and had lunch next to a calm lake that afternoon.

When Connor had finished, he stole the rest of Evan’s food and made the shorter boy chase him in order to get it back.

“Hurry up, Evan! Before I eat it all!” Connor teased as he took another nibble of the fruit.

“Connor!” Evan complained with a whine. “You already ate yours! Give it back!”

“Hmm, only if you ask nicely.”

“Fine.” Evan huffed as he stood with his hands on his hips expectantly. “Please?”

Connor eyes traced Evan’s lean form before he blushed and returned the rest of the fruit.

“We should go for a ride. Just the two of us!” Connor suggested, uncharacteristically shy.

“Okay? We should tell Professor Alana and Princess Zoe first though.” Evan suggested.

“No! They’ll figure it out when they hear this.” Connor answered before he gave a shrill whistle.

Evan heard the horses nicker before his and Connor’s horses came over.

“How come-”

Connor explained before Evan could even finish asking. “The horses could see Alana and Zoe, so their horses stayed.”

“That’s really-” Evan was interrupted again as Connor finished for him.

“Impressive. I know.”

Evan huffed. Would he ever finish a thought or get a word in edgewise?

Connor gave him a bright smile and Evan forgave him. “Come on! No more wasting time!”

Evan shook his head with a laugh as he clumsily mounted his horse and urged it to follow after Connor’s.

They laughed as Connor led Evan through the woods and Evan would fail to duck in time to avoid getting leaves in his hair. When they’d gone far enough, they headed back letting the horses walk.

They were almost back to where they’d left Zoe and Alana when Evan spied them mounted on their own horses through the trees.

He felt Connor punch his arm before he quietly ordered Evan to look away.

“Why?” Evan asked as he turned back to the scene and found Zoe and Alana sharing a private kiss. “Oh.”

Connor rode his horse in front of Evan to intercept the shorter boy’s view. His eyes narrowed as he warned, “You must swear to me that you will never breathe a word of what you’ve witnessed.”

“Who would I tell?” Evan asked, genuinely puzzled.

“Swear to me!”

Evan raised his hands defensively, “I swear! I swear!”

Connor nodded and continued at a trot towards the two women. Evan focused on them again purely out of curiosity and found them sharing a smile with darkened cheeks before they urged their horses to move. Evan flicked the reigns and clucked his tongue, like he’d learned, to make the horse trot forward.


	5. Chapter 5

The next time Alana and Connor had taken him to train, they’d rode the horses down to the lake where the two had placed stepping stones in the shallow part. Evan had managed to block most of Connor’s hits before the taller boy looked up into the sky with a horror-stricken look.

“It’s a dragon!”

Evan’s eyes nearly popped from their sockets as he twisted around to catch a glimpse of the fire breathing legend before he felt a foot kick him in the ass and shove him into the lake.

He sputtered as he came back up still searching wildly for the dragon before he heard Connor and Alana laughing hysterically at him.

“What? What?” Evan asked nervously before he realized. “There’s no such thing as dragons, is there?”

That seemed to make Connor and Alana laugh even harder if that were possible. Evan sighed as he stood up and walked out of the lake towards his horse, so he could get into some dry clothes.

After he’d dressed, the King summoned him to dine together.

Evan sent Connor a glare over the table as the taller boy sent him a cheeky smile before innocently enjoying his food.

“So, Evan. I hear you’ve been training for the tournament.”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Evan answered gracefully. He’d been working on court etiquette with Connor when he wasn’t training for the tournament. No need to say the wrong thing and get executed before he could return home. He’d been assured that hardly anyone ever died in the tournament. Only the most foolhardy were even severely injured.

Evan was more cautious than a cat drinking water. Or so Connor had told him.

“That’s excellent. Though, I must confess. I had no idea you felt that way about my daughter.”

Evan, Zoe, and Connor shared a conspiratorial look before Evan answered. “Me either.”

“Well.” The King began. “I wish you the best of luck.”

“Thank you, Sire.”

The King clapped him gently on the shoulder with an encouraging smile before he returned to his food.

Evan looked down at the food in front of him. “So, what’s for lunch?”

“Leftovers!” The King announced with a pleased smile as he dug into last night’s dinner.

Evan grimaced and wished he’d sat closer to Connor so he could slide the taller boy his food discreetly. Instead, he ate the vegetables and fruits before taking a few brave bites of whatever portion of the animal was served in front of him.

After that, the King would call him in to speak every few days. One such meeting, Evan had been delighted to tell the King about his home, leaving out details that would seem out of place in this time.

In turn, the King told him about his late beloved, Queen Cynthia. He spoke of how he was lost without her guidance and that he was thankful for Lord Tobasco for helping him through the fog. He mourned the distance between him and his children and that he had no idea how to bridge the gap. For how could they forgive him for deserting them when they’d needed him most?

Evan hadn’t been able to find any words of comfort, so he’d reached out and placed a hesitant hand on the King’s shoulder to let him know that he wasn’t alone in that moment.

Instead of being shrugged off like he’d thought he would be, the King placed a rough hand over his and squeezed it with a watery smile.

The moment had been interrupted by a disgruntled Lord Tobasco who’d demanded Evan leave so he could discuss important matters with the King.

Evan lingered in the doorway long enough to hear Lord Tobasco trying to persuade the King to skip the tournament and just let him marry his daughter.

Evan smirked to himself as he heard the King deny Lord Tobasco and inform him that if he wanted to marry his daughter, he would need to participate in the tournament.

“Evan?”

He looked up, startled, to find Connor approaching him. “Yes?”

“What was that _look_ about?”

Evan glanced back inside of the King’s Court before giving a pleased smile and shrugging. “Nothing?”

Connor stared at him skeptically before shrugging and dragging Evan off to practice once more.

_____

Evan and Connor were spending more time together without Alana or Zoe tagging along. It was fun as they took in the sights and enjoyed each other’s company. Evan’s most memorable outing had been when they were visiting one of the outlying villages. They’d just missed the Dark Knight apparently.

The villagers were gathered around crates of food that had been dropped off by the unknown rider.

Evan had turned to Connor with confusion. “So…the Dark Knight is one of the good guys?”

Connor had laughed and instead asked, “Is feeding the hungry and giving to the poor in any way bad?”

Evan had thought about that encounter every day since.

_____

Evan found himself getting more confident in his training sessions and with his horse. Alana deemed him ready enough to begin jousting practice. She gave him a lance when he was seated on his horse.

“Okay...now what do I do?” Evan asked, unsure.

Alana smirked. “Lean forward, focus on where you want your weapon to go, steady your arms, then go for it!”

Evan gave her a look of confusion as a feeling of déjà vu swept over him as his baseball coach’s words were repeated to him anew and she raised a brow.

“What?”

Evan shook his head. There was no way for her and the coach to have talked. “It’s nothing.”

“Are you ready?”

“No?”

Alana laughed. “Perfect!” Before she smacked the horse’s haunches to spur it into a gallop.

Evan kept one hand on the reigns and the other cradling the lance as the horse under him charged towards the dummy.

“Oh God. Oh God. Oh God. Oh no.” Evan couldn’t stop the muttered words as he got almost within range. His horse’s ears seemed to flick back mockingly at him and he braced for impact.

When the lance connected with the dummy, Evan was thrown off his horse from the force of the impact.

“Evan!” He heard Connor rush over with a laugh. “Are you alright?”

Evan couldn’t find the breath to even wheeze as he tried to recover from his fall. Luckily the training yard was built on incredibly soft dirt, so he didn’t damage anything too badly. He’d just had the wind knocked out of him.

“Evan?”

Connor started to sound a little nervous and Evan winced as he gave him a pained smile and finally managed to speak. “I’m okay.”

Connor laughed and pulled Evan up to stand. “Alright. Get back on the horse and go again!”

Evan twisted around with a yelped, “What?”

Connor giggled as Alana walked over with the horse’s reigns in her hand.

“Don’t bother!”

The three of them turned as Lord Tobasco stomped out towards them.

“Why waste your time fighting dummies when you could take on a real man.”

“He’s fought against me!” Connor replied as he stepped in front of Evan protectively.

“My point exactly.”

Connor stiffened and as Evan placed a calming hand on his arm, Alana stepped forward.

“That’s no way to speak to your Prince, Lord Tobasco.”

The older man scoffed. “I see Sir Hansen hides behind women. He won’t last a minute in the tournament.”

“I’m not hiding!” Evan answered as he stepped from behind Connor. “ _Prince_ Connor just happens to be too tall for his own good.”

Lord Tobasco sneered before he turned and began running his hands along the training weapons before he drew a sword. “It appears that you need to be taught a lesson in how to address your betters.”

Evan dodged out of the way of the sword as he was pushed farther and farther back towards the wall of the castle.

“Evan! Take this!”

He looked over and watched as Connor threw him a wooden staff. When Lord Tobasco slashed at him, Evan instinctively pulled the staff up to block the blow. The blade snapped the staff in two and Evan was left with two useless pieces of wood.

He jumped back from another slash across his middle before he lost his footing in the dirt. He crawled back as he scrambled to stand again before he was struck. Lord Tobasco gave a malicious grin as he raised his sword high above his head. Evan didn’t hesitate as he kicked the man in the groin and used the man’s distracting pain to stand and skitter away from him.

“You impudent little rat! I’m going to enjoy making you suffer.”

Alana stepped in front of him as she casually swung a battle axe. “I think that’s quite enough, Lord Tobasco. Thank you for assisting with Sir Hansen’s training today. Your help has been most appreciated. Though I am sure you have far more important duties to attend to.”

Lord Tobasco glared at the three of them before storming away with a flourish of his cape.

“How are you feeling?” Alana asked as she turned to the boys.

“I’m fine. Just…can’t believe he didn’t kill me!” Evan exclaimed. “I thought I was dead for sure. I don’t know what came over me!”

“Evan…are you alright?”

“Of course I’m alright! I’m better than alright! I’m alive!” Evan felt a laugh bubble out of him as Connor and Alana shared a look.

“What’s _wrong_ with him?” Connor asked.

“I’ve seen this happen only once before. A soldier survived falling off a cliff and began to seek such ventures again.”

“What happened to him?”

“He went over a cliff that ended with jagged rocks.” She answered simply.

Connor was smart enough to realize that meant he was dead. He gave Evan a look of concern as the shorter boy kept giggling.

It was made better when Evan broke down into relieved tears and Connor was quick to rub soothing circles on his back as Alana shook her head and did the same.

“I thought I was gonna die!” Evan whined near hysterics as snot began to drip from his nose.

Connor fought back the shudder of revulsion as he continued to comfort Evan.

When they’d calmed him down, Evan was mortified by his outburst and Alana had assured him that such things were normal after experiencing something like that.

He felt marginally better as he made his way back to his room to decompress for a bit. The tournament was tomorrow, and he still couldn’t face off against Lord Tobasco with any hope of winning. It was almost dark before he ventured out to search for any of his friends…Connor.

Evan checked Connor’s room and found it empty when he dared to peek inside when he was met with no answer, he thought to check the King’s Court next, in case the King was having a late dinner with his family. He heard Zoe’s voice and he smiled before he heard Lord Tobasco growling back an answer to her.

He crept along the wall and peeked around the corner to see knights standing watch outside of the door.

“What have you done with my brother?”

Evan felt his heart seize with panic.

“Your _sister_ shall remain unharmed so long as you cancel the tournament tomorrow and announce your acceptance of a wedding between us!”

“Never!”

“Then you’ll never see her again, and if you breathe a word of this to anyone she’ll be _dead_ within the hour.”

He heard Zoe sob out a “No!”, before Lord Tobasco stepped outside and muttered lowly to the knights.

“I want that Hansen brat blamed for the Princess Catherine’s death. Make sure he isn’t alive to say otherwise.”

Evan took a few steps backward before he bumped into someone behind him.

“Going somewhere, Sir Hansen? Awfully late to be out and about, don’t you think?”

Evan looked up and found the knight that had captured him inside of that couple’s house. He must not have heard about the kill immediately order. Evan didn’t bother answering as he took off down the hall.

When the three men outside of the King’s Court saw him, the two knights gave chase.

“Don’t let him get away!” He heard Lord Tobasco’s voice thunder down the hall after him as the three knights chased after him.

He ducked down several hallways and corridors as the bulky knights tried to keep pace with him. He was pulled into an alcove with a yelp before a hand was slammed over his mouth. He looked up and found Alana watching carefully as the knights ran past them before she released him.

“What have you gotten yourself into now, Evan?” Alana asked with a sigh.

“I was. They were. They’ve taken Connor!”

Alana’s eyes widened. “Who’s taken him?”

“L-lord Tobasco!”

Alana’s eyes narrowed as she shoved him in the opposite direction as the knights.

“Go inform the King before _Lord_ Tobasco gets to him. He’s just down the hall, the only door on the right! I’ll keep the guards off your trail.”

“Th-thanks!” Evan ran down the hall trying to think through his panic. He was _not_ very good with stressful situations and he felt his anxiety nearly crippling him.

He threw open the King’s doors and slammed them shut before he ran to the King’s bed. The King had sprung awake at the sound of the door slamming.

“Evan?”

“King Larry! It’s Connor! He’s been kidnapped!”

“What?” The King was instantly on alert. “Why is my son taking a nap with baby goats?”

“No! No! He’s been taken and is being held hostage by Lord Tobasco!”

“What? What proof do you have of this?”

Before Evan could speak, there was a knock on the King’s door.

“Sire?” Lord Tobasco’s voice came muffled through the wood. The King pointed for Evan to hide himself before he answered the door.

“Lord Tobasco? What is the meaning of waking me in the middle of the night?”

“I’m dreadfully sorry to wake you, Sire. It is about Princess Catherine. I’m afraid Sir Hansen has killed her and fled the castle.”

The King gasped and Evan believed for a moment that the King was truly caught unawares.

“My son…is dead?” His voice sounded so broken Evan felt a lump form in his throat.

“Fear not, Sire. I’ve instructed the knights to search every corner of the kingdom until that boy is found and hanged.”

The King looked up from where he was hunched over from emotional pain and growled, “Find him! I want his head on a silver platter!”

Evan watched as Lord Tobasco smirked before he bowed with a faux sympathetic smile. “I shall see to it personally, Sire.”

The King stumbled inside and shut the door weakly before he stood straight and began going for his clothes.

“Pompous ass. I knew I shouldn’t have trusted him as long as I had.” He muttered as he pulled on his clothes.

He turned to Evan with his eyes blazing with righteous fury and Evan shrank down waiting for the King to end him before listening to him.

“Get my armor, Evan. We’re going to go save my son!”

Evan’s eyebrows nearly hit his hairline as he raced to comply to the King’s wishes.


	6. Chapter 6

Evan and the King were making their way on foot. They couldn’t afford to get horses with the knights on high alert and stationed at every major entry point.

Evan felt the rumbling of horses thundering towards them and he turned fearful eyes to the horizon to find the Dark Knight leading two horses closer to them.

He sighed with relief as the King raised his sword with a challenging roar.

“No! No! Your Majesty! The Dark Knight isn’t a bad guy!”

“What? Of course he is! He’s been stealing from me for years now!”

“And he’s been giving to the poor. He only takes from you to give to your people what Lord Tobasco has taken for years.”

He watched as the Dark Knight released the horses and allowed them to slow down as they approached them before the knight turned and began galloping back towards the castle.

“If anyone’s the bad guy, it’s Lord Tobasco.”

The King grumbled as he watched the Dark Knight ride away. “Very well. If you say so…but after all this I want the Dark Knight to stop! Are we clear?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.” Evan answered with a grin as he climbed up with a practiced ease onto his horse. The King was quick to follow, and they headed off for the one place Lord Tobasco could keep Connor.

Jared’s Keep. This was where the wizard would reside when he wasn’t actively advising the King. It was the only place within the kingdom that King Larry could think of. It was abandoned and had no outlying villages surrounding it. Which meant no witnesses.

Evan and the King approached the keep with caution until they confirmed that the knights that were loyal to Lord Tobasco were guarding the place.

That only confirmed Connor’s presence.

They snuck in through the water way that Jared had complained about so many times to the King as a safety hazard.

The King, while he felt slightly guilty about never fixing it, was eternally grateful for his procrastination.

They decided to try the holding cell first. Since that was the most likely place they would be keeping him. They knew they’d chosen correctly when they heard Connor yelling.

They picked up their pace as they ventured down a set of stairs and came face to face with a knight guarding the cell.

“Halt! Reveal yourselves!”

The King pulled his hood back with a scowl. “Your King! How dare you show me such disrespect!”

“Y-your Majesty I-”

He didn’t finish before Evan knocked him over the head with a torch that had been hanging in the hallway.

He pulled the torch back and looked down at the knight’s crumpled form. “I-I didn’t k-kill him, right?”

The King kicked the man’s side and caused him to moan.

“He’s fine. Let’s go.”

Evan sighed as he followed after the older man. When Connor saw his father, he stood straight and clutched at the bars.

“Father?”

When he saw Evan, his eyes widened even more before they narrowed haughtily.

“It’s about time you showed up. I thought I was going to die of boredom.”

Evan smiled nervously as the King tested the doors.

“I think we’re going to have to pick the lock.”

“Nonsense! No mere piece of magicked metalwork is enough to keep me from my son!”

The King slammed his shoulder into the bars and a shudder went through his body before he pulled back with a wince and clutched at his now sore arm.

“Perhaps Jared’s magic is too strong for me in my old age.”

Connor rolled his eyes at his father’s antics and Evan looked at the cell doors. If he had a pin, he could try to pick the lock. He looked over and saw the cell had hinges on it.

“Your Majesty, if you could please try to use your sword to pull the pins from the door we might be able to open it that way. I’m going to try to search the guard outside for the key.”

He ended up finding the key just as he heard the cell slam open. He turned and found Connor and the King hurrying towards him and he stood to get out of their way before he was trampled. When they passed him, they continued on until they reached the room that the King and Evan had first entered.

They were about to slide through the opening when they heard the knights yelling to each other that Connor had escaped. They shared a glance and doubled their efforts as they escaped without getting caught.

Connor and Evan shared a horse while the King rode ahead of them. They made it back before the morning of the tournament and dismounted before entering the castle victoriously. The Princess and Alana rushed outside to see if the commotion meant Connor had been returned. When the siblings locked eyes, the first of the suns rays peeked over the horizon and they ran to each other before embracing. It was short lived before they parted ways and began playfully berating each other.

“How could you let yourself get caught by those buffoons?”

“What about you? Why didn’t you come after me? Leaving everyone else to do your dirty work.”

They laughed, and Zoe choked on her tears as she ran a hand through her brother’s messy brown hair.

“I’m so glad you’re safe.”


	7. Chapter 7

That morning, Evan watched as Lord Tobasco was allowed to strut around the castle. He lunged after him for all the grief he’d caused, but the King held him back and assured him that the Lord would get his comeuppance.

It was the middle of the day when the tournament began. The King stood and raised a hand to call the audience to silence.

“Today, is an auspicious day! We gather here for a tournament for the hand of my beautiful daughter, Princess Zoe!”

The audience cheered, and he allowed them a moment of celebration before he raised his hand and called for silence once more.

“As it has recently come to my attention! I have decided that not _just_ can noblemen vie for my daughter’s attentions.” He turned towards Alana for a moment before he faced the crowd once more. “Henceforth, _all_ interested suitors are welcome to the challenge of dueling for the right to wed another.”

The crowd cheered, and the King allowed their celebrations to continue as he watched Alana and Zoe’s face darken with a blush as they shared a happy and embarrassed look. Zoe grabbed Alana’s hands and they whispered to each other over the roar of the crowd, hidden by the royal tent’s shade they shared a kiss and Zoe wished Alana the best of luck.

When they’d finished, the King turned towards the men gathered on horseback, ready for the tournament.

“May the tournament begin!”

The crowds went wild as the riders walked their horses to their stations to prepare for the battles to come.

Evan watched as Alana went and suited herself up before his eyes caught Lord Tobasco sliding a helmet over his head.

“Good luck defeating Alana.” He muttered to himself and looked around when he also heard it coming from behind him. Connor gave him a cheeky grin and they smiled to one another as the first competitors got into position for the first joust.

Evan watched as lances crashed against shields and men crashed to the ground. Watching Alana compete gave him anxiety, but he also couldn’t make himself look away.

She moved with such grace and fluidity. It was clear she and her horse were in sync with one another. She didn’t use brute strength alone to overpower her challenger, she artfully twisted her lance around her opponents and braced against her horse as the men were knocked off balance.

Evan was just happy no one was killed, and that Alana was winning.

The biggest issue he had with the tournament, was that Lord Tobasco was _still_ in the running.

Evan wondered to himself how the other man was doing it. He just…didn’t understand what was going on. It wasn’t until Lord Tobasco turned towards him that he noticed it. A shine that glinted off of the man’s helmet and stung his eyes.

After Alana’s latest victory, there was only Lord Tobasco remaining to defeat. Evan knew he had to act quickly. He stood and ignored Connor’s questions as he ran to Alana’s station.

When the woman arrived, and pulled off her helmet to reveal her sweat soaked hair and face, he pulled her close and told her about Lord Tobasco’s treachery.

“That damn snake!” She hissed and sent an aggravated glare at her next opponent before she sighed and gave Evan a grateful smile. “Thanks for warning me, Evan.”

He nodded and jogged back to the King’s stands. He didn’t see how Lord Tobasco’s eyes watched him or how they narrowed with murderous rage.

When he returned, he noticed that Zoe was gone. “Where’s your sister?”

Connor looked over his shoulder and seemed surprised that she was gone. “Maybe she went to use the chamber pot or something. I don’t know.”

Evan sighed as he sat next to Connor and tried not to nervously gnaw at his lips.

The next match began and Alana and Lord Tobasco lined up at either end of the pole dividing them. Before the match started, Alane pulled her helmet off and threw it into the dirt.

Her voice carried over the din of the crowd’s surprised murmurs as she challenged Lord Tobasco. “Remove your helmet, Lord Tobasco. I wish to see the look of surprise when I knock you off your horse!”

The crowd tittered with laughter as her opponent kept his helmet on. The only sign her words had affected him was the slight tightening of his hand around the lance.

“If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather I kept it on and that you replace yours. No need for bloodshed.”

The crowd began again, and Alana glared as she signaled she was ready, even without her helmet.

Evan stood paralyzed as Lord Tobasco returned the signal. Their horses snorted and pawed at the ground before they began to charge at one another. Alana narrowed her gaze before she lifted her shield to her face and stabbed blindly with her lance.

They were both almost knocked from their horses as a result and they readjusted before getting into position now on the opposite side that they’d began.

Evan watched as Alana leaned over her horse and spoke to it. The ears swiveled back, and the horse’s energy seemed to increase as its excitement grew.

She signaled she was ready and Lord Tobasco followed. They began their charge again and at the moment before impact, Alana’s horse skidded to a stop and reared.

Alana used her horse’s new position to stab her lance down and knock Lord Tobasco from his horse.

The crowd erupted with applause and cheers as the woman strutted her horse away from the man’s fallen figure.

Like that, Alana won the tournament.

She walked her horse over to the King’s tent and Evan rushed down to make sure she was okay and to inform her that Zoe had unfortunately not seen the battle.

She dismounted with a chuckle before she ruffled his hair. “Thanks, Evan. I would have probably lost if you hadn’t warned me about Lord Tobasco’s helmet trick.”

“No!”

They all turned and watched as Lord Tobasco stalked over to them. He ignored everyone except Evan, who shrank away from the murderous intent rolling off the man in waves.

“I was going to win until _you_ ” he ripped his helmet off and threw it on the ground, “ _cheated_ me out of it!”

“ _You_ were the one who was cheating!” Evan defended.

“I’m gonna kill you!”

As Alana stepped in front of him and Connor pulled Evan behind _him_ , there came the righteous thundering of hooves and a horse’s shriek that sounded like it was out for blood.

Everyone froze as the Dark Knight barreled toward Lord Tobasco with a sword raised, murderously glinting in the sun.

The man ran away but was intercepted by the horse’s bulky body. The rider halfheartedly swiped at the other as their horse stomped the ground near the man.

When the Lord fell on his rear, the horse chased after him like the snake he was. Its hooves came perilously close to snapping the man’s hands and legs and as it reared, it almost kicked him in the head.

The Dark Knight chased him into his own tent before the rider cut the ropes and it fell around the man cowering inside.

Seeming to be satisfied, the Dark Knight rode their horse in front of the King’s tent alongside everyone.

“Who _are_ you?” The King asked, and Evan was sure everyone wanted to know as well.

The knight sheathed their sword and pulled their helmet off to reveal Princess Zoe.

“It’s me, father. It’s always been me.”

“Zoe?”

Connor smirked at Evan’s jaw dropped expression as Alana reached up and closed it for him.

The crowd cheered that their hero had been their Princess the entire time.

While the celebrations were occurring, Lord Tobasco tried to escape unseen. Fortunately, the King hadn’t forgotten about him.

“Knights! Arrest Lord Tobasco!”

There was a small scuffle as the man tried in vain to get away before he was brought in front of the King.

“W-what are you going to do to me, Sire?”

“You are to be banished beyond the furthest reaches of the kingdom. Should my knights or I see you again in these lands, you will be beheaded.”

Evan prayed the man would stay out of the kingdom, so he wouldn’t have to lose his head. Despite his anger and hurt, he still didn’t want the man dead.

Evan turned from the scene of Tobasco being hauled away to be greeted with Connor smiling and leaning over him.

“Yes?” Evan asked with a raised brow as he leaned back away from the taller boy.

Connor grinned before he grabbed the sides of Evan’s face and kissed him soundly on the lips.

Evan felt like he was on cloud nine as Connor pulled back and slung an arm around him to reveal Alana and Zoe wrapped in a teary embrace as they were finally allowed to be together. Some of the crowd were a little disgruntled, but the vast majority were excited for their hero and princess to be so happy and loved.

The King sighed and announced the tournament had come to a close.


	8. Chapter 8

Evan was standing at the well, Jared had promised he was allowed to go home if he prevented Tobasco’s marriage to Zoe. He was hugged by everyone except Connor who had chosen to see him off last.

The Prince pulled Evan into a hug before they pulled apart and he held him at arm’s length, still reluctant to let go. “You promise that you won’t forget me, right?”

“No one deserves to be forgotten, Connor.” Evan joked before he gave a shy kiss on the taller boy’s cheek before he whispered his choked answer into his ear. “I could _never_ forget you.”

Connor’s arms tightened around him, and he whimpered before he inhaled shakily and let Evan go with teary eyes.

Evan turned to Jared’s image. “I’m ready.”

“Well it’s about time!”

The group sighed out Jared’s name with exasperation as the King chuckled at his friend’s antics.

His image faded from view and the water disappeared a seemingly endless fall.

“Are you sure about this?” Evan asked worriedly.

“Just trust me.”

“Easier said than done.” Evan muttered as he stood on the edge of the well. He turned back and gave a sad smile but couldn’t bid them farewell because his throat felt like it was sealed shut before he jumped.

He fell until he was surrounded by darkness before he jerked awake in the dugout at his school’s baseball field.

“I’m back!”

“Hansen, you’re up!”

He turned towards his coach with a dazed feeling as he pulled his helmet over his ballcap.

As he walked to the plate, the team jeered at him.

“Try to actually swing this time, Hansen.”

“You can do it, honey!” Evan looked up to find his mom with her hands cupped around her mouth as she cheered for him. “You’re gonna knock it outta the park!”

Evan gave her a brilliant smile before the coach grabbed his shoulder and turned him around.

“Alright, Hansen. Don’t be nervous. Just remember-”

“The three things?”

The coach sputtered to a halt as Evan interrupted him. When he recovered he smiled, “Yes! Exactly! You’re gonna knock this one outta the park, kid.”

Evan nodded, he was at least going to try.

He positioned himself over the plate and made sure his grip on the bat was good. He watched the pitcher wind up his arm like he had so long ago before throwing it at him. Evan swung his bat as hard as he could and heard as it hit the umpire’s mitt.

“Strike one!”

He exhaled as he brought the bat back for another swing. The pitcher lined up the shot and chucked it at him once more. He swung a little sooner this time and it connected with the tip of his bat and flew off to the side.

“Foul!”

He could feel his team on the edge of their seats. They’d already resigned to failure when he’d stepped up to the plate. Now that he was swinging, they were on the edge of their seats hoping for him to swing the bat and make the play.

Evan breathed and tuned in to the pitcher once more as he readied the last throw. He looped his arm around and threw it once more.

Evan watched in almost slow motion as he swung his bat as hard as he could as he focused on the sky, the ball cracked against the front of his bat and sailed up into the air.

He paused a moment in surprise before he dropped the bat and took off for first base, then second base, _third base_! He saw his coach raise up a congratulatory hand and he gave him a high five as he ran past him to home base.

The audience was standing in the bleachers, his mom was screaming at anyone and everyone who would listen, “THAT’S MY SON!!! THAT’S MY SON!!!”

His team surrounded him and gave him an entire lifetime’s worth of praise.

When the hype settled Evan walked with his mom towards the car as she gushed about how she knew he could do it if only he believed in himself.

He felt it was a little empty though, as he looked back searching against all reason for Connor to be in the crowd going home. He was still a little mopey as he went to bed the night. It wasn’t that he wasn’t happy. Just that…he felt like he was missing something.

He hoped the feeling would go away soon.


	9. The End

Evan had quit the baseball team before next season. His teammates questioned why he wanted to leave, but they didn’t beg him to stay. He had only won them one game, so it wasn’t like he was the star player.

He shrugged and told them that he just didn’t feel like it was right for him anymore. He’d gotten odd looks, but no one bothered him about it after that.

He was allowed to drift through the last of his junior year in peace.

Over the summer he turned into a recluse that stayed in his room all day. Sometimes his family friend, Jared, would talk to him. His name and presence only reminded him of what he’d lost so he tried to avoid him as much as possible.

His mom took him to a therapist hoping to help him through this depressive phase.

He had reassured her that he would probably learn to deal with it, he just needed time. She’d pleaded with him to at least try it, so he had.

Summer passed, and it was his first day of senior year. His mom entered his room and he gave her a stiff smile as she tried to make sure he was taking the meds his psychologist had prescribed and that he was writing letters to himself about why today was going to be a good day.

He accepted her help awkwardly before she left, and he was left to head to school.

He met a girl named Alana that reminded him so, so much of the other Alana that it was all he could do to listen to her talk about things she did over summer before she left him.

Jared met up with him too and teased him the way he normally did. It was the same as last year. He kept his head down as Jared talked to him and they walked through the halls. He had almost reached his locker when someone clipped his shoulder.

Jared steadied him before yelling at the other person to watch where they were going.

“Me? He wasn’t even watching where he was going!”

Evan twitched as he lifted his head at the familiar way of speaking. His eyes watered as he took in the taller boy’s face. They were a little harder than what he remembered, and his chest had no illusion to the soft tissue that had been present from before.

“Connor?”

The taller boy flinched away from him. “The fuck? Why’s he crying?”

Jared stepped away from Evan as if he’d been burned.

Evan regained his composure as he wiped his eyes.

“It’s nothing! Sorry. My name’s Evan. Evan Hansen.” He said as he offered his dry hand.

The other seemed shell-shocked. “Uhh, Connor Murphy.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Connor.” Evan smiled brightly, and Connor’s brow furrowed as he looked deep in thought. “I hope we can be friends this year.”

Not wanting to be too weird, Evan turned and began to walk away.

He was halfway down the empty hall when he heard footsteps stomp after him.

He turned around and was scooped into Connor’s arms as the other pressed his nose into Evan’s neck.

“How dare you make me wait this long.”

“I said I wouldn’t forget you.” Evan said with a choked laugh as he ran his hands through Connor’s slightly longer hair.

They held each other for a long time before Jared sighed loudly. “It’s about damn time you remembered! I went through a lot of trouble to make all this seem like a happy coincidence!”

“Jared?”

“Ah, ah, ah. That’s Jared _the Wise_ to you!”

Connor set Evan down as they laughed through their tears happily. They didn’t have to fear that they’d have to part one day. They could be together and be happy.

They had all the time in the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The: "And they lived happily ever after" goes without saying. But I'm not so cliche that I will include it in the actual fic. Wink Wonk


End file.
